


Close Call (too close for comfort)

by intheKnickoftime



Category: Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I love them okay, I would die for kywi, Let them be Soft, Pining Idiots, Will frEAKS OUT, angstish??, character injury, everything is okay... in the end, kym gets shot, they get to be soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intheKnickoftime/pseuds/intheKnickoftime
Summary: Over the course of their investigations into Lune, Kym and Will run into... a complication.Namely, a gun wound. On Kym. And the ensuing drama.
Relationships: William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	Close Call (too close for comfort)

**Author's Note:**

> I HAVE FOUND that longer-than-necessary titles (preferably with parentheses) are my jam and will not apologize for this fact. Mwahahaha.

It felt like a perfectly normal morning- at least at first.

Kym opened her eyes, blinking slowly, her limbs still heavy from sleep. The sun streaming through her window was typical. So was the feel of the sheets around her. She let out a sleepy exhale and made to roll over-

- _Ow._ The burning sort of pain in her side when she twisted around was definitely _not_ a normal morning occurrence. She sat slowly up in bed, wincing slightly, and pulled up the hem of her shirt to peer at the bandages that had, evidently, appeared there. Bandages she certainly did not recall putting on, or having put on.

_I must have- was I unconscious?_ She wondered, rubbing a hand through her already-messy hair. What had happened last night that led to her being injured? Her mind still fuzzy and blurred from sleep, she tried to recall.

Leaving a pub with Will. That, she remembered. They had been hopping around the local establishments for a few nights now, inhabiting out-of-sight booths and keeping their ears open for any mutterings from the shadier patrons. They had started with the Golden Clover, where Harry Anslow had been found, several evenings ago- but the owner of that establishment had already been questioned by the police after Anslow’s arrest, and he hadn’t been able to reveal anything more about Lune, even when Kym and Will had paid another visit.

She remembered the cobbled streets, shining and damp in the wake of a rain shower. She remembered jumping at puddles, attempting to splash Will while they swapped theories and thoughts on what their next steps should be.

She remembered gunshots, remembered darting into the shelter of an alleyway- but not fast enough. The last thing she could recall was a similar throbbing pain, and Will’s blue eyes focusing on hers as he urged her to stay awake.

_Oh,_ Kym realized. _I got shot last night, didn’t I?_ She glanced at her bandages once more. No blood seemed to have soaked through, and though it hurt when she moved it seemed that the bleeding had stopped- that was a good sign, at least.

_But I’m at home- in my room,_ Kym realized with a frown, glancing about the room. _Why am I_ here _rather than a hospital or-_ she stopped and bit back a gasp, wincing slightly. The pain of her wound didn’t do anything to reduce the shock of what she was seeing.

_Will_ was in her room, propped on a chair in the corner, snoozing fitfully. He was still in his clothes from last night, scuffed pants and rumpled jacket and all. His shirt had a large tear near the hem, as well as what looked to be bloodstains, and his hair was more mussed than Kym had ever seen it, even on his most tired mornings arriving at the office.

Kym blinked at him. Will continued dozing.

_Well. This is unexpected._

She tilted her head, considering. On one hand, she desperately wanted to be filled in on last night’s events. She could wake Will up right now and get answers. Or she could be merciful and wait for him to wake up. A quick glance at the clock told her they still had plenty of time before she typically left for work- a few more minutes’ rest wouldn’t harm anything. 

“I’m… going to go make some coffee,” Kym muttered aloud, getting gingerly out of bed and to her feet. Which was stupid, seeing as Will was still asleep. But she felt a sudden desire to leave the room, away from the quiet of morning and the unexpectedly intimate feel of seeing the lieutenant ruffled and curled up in her chair. 

Kym exited the room as hastily and quietly as she could, leaving Will to his rest. 

She was halfway to the kitchen when realization struck her.

**_Wait._ ** _Was he watching me sleep?_

Kym threw a suspicious glare over her shoulder at the doorframe- through which she could not currently see Will, but that was beside the point.

_I am going to have_ words _with him when he wakes up._ Kym gave a small huff and continued her search for the coffee pot.

\---

_The previous night-_

  
  


“Wh- Ladell!”

Will had turned at the sound of gunshots, expecting to see Kym warding off the assailants. He was halfway correct: he’d seen another shadowy figure retreating around the corner, clutching at their gun arm.

He had also seen his sergeant give a small jolt backwards, hands going to her side. Will grasped her by the shoulders and turned her about to face him, feeling a jolt in his own chest as he saw a red splotch beginning to blossom and spread beneath her shirt. Kym’s fingers came away already stained with her own blood. She sank slowly to her knees, and Will backed them up so that her back was to the alley wall, suddenly feeling his heart in his throat.

\---

_“Ladell,” Will’s voice came urgent and low. “I think we’re being followed.”_

_Kym glanced up from the pebbles she’d been kicking along, her sharp tawny gaze questioning._  
 _  
_Where? _She mouthed. Will jerked his head behind him, and the barest glance backwards showed sight of at least three creeping shadows._

_“Wonder if the Phantom Scythe finally realized that we’d been staking out the taverns in the area,” Kym gritted her teeth. “Is this their way of telling us to keep our noses out of it?”_

_“Possibly,” Will whispered back. “We should make for a side street- try to lose them-”_

_“Yep,” Kym said, glancing back once more. “Left or right?”_

_“Right- on my call,” Will breathed. He could feel his heart hammering, could see Kym’s shoulders tensing. “Go!” He hissed to Kym, and the two of them swerved sharply into the narrow street. He heard a shout from somewhere behind them, and then a click from somewhere beside him._

_“You good?” he panted, glancing at Kym- except Kym wasn’t beside him anymore. She had stopped running, and had her back pressed to the wall of the alleyway. Her pistol was drawn from its hiding place underneath her coat._

_“Kym!” he skidded to a stop and jogged back to her. “What are you-”_

_“This alley’s a straight shot,” she muttered back, eyes darting to the corner of the street. “They saw where we went- they’ll be able to gun us down before we get to another turn.” Another click as she loaded her pistol, pulling a handful of bullets from an inside pocket._

\---

Will bit out a curse- because she’d been _right_ but also _reckless_ and she may have warded off the assailants but now she was bleeding in his arms and it was as if all logical courses had flown from his head-

“I’m fine, _Mom,_ ” Kym protested, cutting through his thoughts. Her voice had only the barest of quavers in it. “Quit fretting. It’s just a graze.”

“A graze that’s losing you a lot of blood,” Will said, something in his chest twisting uncomfortably again. “We need to-”  
  


“Get out of here,” Kym said, her words beginning to slur together. How long had she been bleeding for? Will found that he’d lost track of time. Her blood was on the cobblestones. It was staining the trim of her jacket and the edge of his pant leg and her hands- and then his wrist, as well, as she grabbed it to catch his attention.

“I don’t- I think I scared those guys off,” Kym said. “But they might come back- I might have missed one-”

“Doubtful. You’re the best marksman I know, Ladell.”

“Now isn’t the time for compliments, Willame,” she huffed, managing an eye roll. “Let’s get out of here first- I’ll patch myself up later.”

“Don’t be stupid,” he shot back, trying to keep his own voice from trembling. “You’re losing blood- hey.” Her eyes were losing their focus, her grip on his wrist loosening. “Ladell,” he grit his teeth, the words coming out ragged, fear creeping into his voice. His hands moved from her shoulders to her wound, attempting to apply pressure with his own hands. He could feel blood seeping from the wound in a slow but relentless pulse. 

“Kym,” He said, bringing his hands up to cup her face instead, forcing her to look at him. He realized too late that he was leaving bloody handprints on either side of her jaw. “Look at me. Keep your eyes open, will you? Hey-”

“‘M trying, idiot,” she slurred again, her voice weaker still. And then: “You just got blood all over my face.”

“Sorry,” he said, trying for a smile. It came out more like a grimace.

Her eyes slipped shut. Her wound continued to bleed.

Will clenched his jaw, willing himself not to break. If the sight of her subdued and discouraged after Harvey’s death had been unnerving? The sight of her limp and bleeding like this was downright terrifying.

His fingers trembled slightly as he reached to feel her pulse. Still there, thudding determinedly, like a beacon under his hands. He allowed himself a relieved exhale and then glanced about. Surely their attackers would have reappeared by now if Kym hadn’t succeeded in incapacitating or scaring them off. He couldn’t shake a feeling of unease, though- the sooner they were out of this place, the better. But first and foremost, Kym’s wound needed tending.

Will pulled back the bloodstained edge of her jacket, exposing an even bloodier shirt. He gingerly untucked the hem and pushed that aside as well, revealing a gash on Kym’s side. She had been right that it was just a surface wound, but it was more than a simple graze. Will wished fervently that he had some water or alcohol to clean the wound with- or at least some proper bandages. But he’d have to make do for now.

He reached to the hem of his own shirt, tearing off a strip from the base. It was cleaner than hers at this point, and blessedly free of bloodstains.

Will determinedly stamped down a wave of awkwardness as he eased Kym away from the wall, looping both arms about her waist as he bound the wound, wrapping the torn strip of linen tightly. This was nothing to be ridiculous about. Kym was wounded, and he was helping her. Simple as that.

When his knuckles brushed her skin, though- in even that barest of touches he felt that she was still reassuringly warm, and his own heart seemed to jump in response.

Will shook his head, securing the knot. Stupid.

\---

“For the record,” Will huffed down at Kym’s unconscious form, “I have carried you almost two miles. I expect an appropriate display of gratitude once you wake up, Sergeant. Perhaps an entire day of you not forcing watermelons upon me.”

Though he was trying to stay nonchalant about it, in reality Will felt almost constricted with worry. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up- there were no cabs out, and no hospitals or clinics that he knew of nearby. Kym hadn’t shown any further signs of life beyond her steady pulse against his.

Most of all, her stillness was unnerving him. It wasn’t that Kym was incapable of being serious- but she was never this absolutely still and quiet. She felt impossibly small, tucked into his arms like this, even as he felt her weight in his tired shoulders. Though he complained about her overflowing energy, in that moment Will would have given most anything for even a faint smile or weak quip from her.

Or for some rest, he reflected with a grimace, noting the soreness in his arms and heaviness in his legs. He needed to sit down. But if he sat down now, he might well fall asleep- and that wouldn’t be good for either of them.

Where was he taking them? Where _could_ he take them? Will stopped to squint at the nearest street sign, feeling relief wash over him as he realized where they were- not too far from the neighborhood where he, Kym, and Lauren all resided. 

Kym’s house was the closest.

“Almost there,” he said, talking in equal parts to himself and the unconscious sergeant. “Almost there, Kym.” 

His arms tightened reflexively around her. “You’re going to be fine.” He glanced down at her face- it looked weirdly peaceful, if a bit pale. He swallowed hard.

“You’re going to be fine,” he said firmly, trying to convince himself.

\---

Kym poked her head back into her bedroom at the sound of rustling. Sure enough, Will seemed to be waking up, stretching his arms over his head, his eyes slowly blinking open. Kym bit back a brief flash of something like amusement- he really did look quite a mess.

“Ugh,” he groaned. “Where- did I-?” He wasn’t addressing anyone in particular- Kym didn’t think he’d seen her yet- but she decided to answer anyway.

“Yes, you spent the night in that chair. How’s your back feeling, Lieutenant?” She asked, trying for a bit of levity. Will jumped, causing the chair to rock perilously on its wooden feet.

“Wh- oh, it’s you,” he said, bringing a hand up to cover his face, peering tiredly through the gap in his fingers at her. “My back is sore, thanks for asking.”

“That could have been avoided, you know,” Kym said with a slight smile. “Why sleep all night in a chair, of all places? That’s just asking for discomfort.”

“Your parents offered me a couch,” Will mumbled. “But I guess I fell asleep here and they didn’t want to wake me. Your mother was the one to bandage you up, too, so don’t yell at me for that, either.”

“Why were you in here in the first place?” Kym asked, crossing her arms. “Watching me sleep, Williame? I can’t say I-”

“Kym,” Will protested, “you weren’t _sleeping,_ you were _unconscious._ Because of blood loss. I was _worried_ about you.”

Kym fell silent for a moment, eyeing him.

“Is this more of you ‘fulfilling your duty as lieutenant?’” She scoffed. “‘Making sure your subordinates are alright?’” There was a slight hesitancy in her voice that made her want to slap herself. Stupid. Of all things to bring up, why that?

But Will’s expression actually turned serious at those words. He looked intently at her, and Kym willed herself not to flush or flinch away under the weight of his blue gaze. His hair was still a mess- and why was she noticing this now?

“No,” he said finally. “It isn’t.” It looked for a moment like he was biting back saying something else, and then his infuriatingly (since when did it infuriate her so?) neutral expression was back. 

“Right,” Kym said, feeling a stab of irritation that she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for. “It was a matter of necessity, wasn’t it? Because I was helpless and bleeding in an alleyway, making things more difficult for you as usual.” She knew that wasn’t being fair, but the embarrassed flush she’d been battling back had turned into a burning sort of _shame_ that she hadn’t anticipated.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Will said. He stood up, and he rose so did the tension in the room. Kym was fervently glad her parents didn’t seem to be awake yet- she didn’t want them to bear witness to this standoff with her superior.

“Yeah?” She challenged. “Then what-”

“You saved me,” Will said. “You saved us by scaring off those gunmen. I didn’t have a gun on me-”

“Too scared of getting searched by the bartender?” Kym interjected, trying for a laugh that came out more shakily than she’d intended. 

“In part, yes,” Will admitted. “I didn’t want to draw attention. In any case, you carrying one with you is what saved us- you either incapacitated or scared then off enough that they left us alone after you shot at them.”

“So either those guys weren’t with the Phantom Scythe, or they _were_ and significantly lacked in nerve,” Kym mused, distracted from her irritation by this news. “Interesting.”

“Kym,” Will said firmly, drawing her attention back to him. He was barely a step away from her. When had he gotten so close? “That’s not the point. I was trying to tell you that-” he broke off for a moment, his eyes intent on hers again. Kym’s heart was thudding way too fast. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run or shove him or k- _no, Kym, you’re not going down that route. Nope nope nope._

“When you passed out,” Will began again, speaking slowly. “It was… scary. You terrify me on a daily basis, but seeing you bleeding like that- was the worst. I didn’t know if you would make it, at first.”

“Of course I did,” Kym said, barely more than a breath. “It would take more than a mere flesh wound to bring me down, Lieutenant.” She tried for a smile, and came up with more of a grimace. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t have been more useful- I can’t believe I let my guard down like that. Stupid of me, really.”

“Kym.” Will was glaring down at her now. “Accidents happen to the best of us. I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty or ashamed of getting shot or… whatever you thought I was going for. I just-”

There was that intent stare again. Whatever witty retort Kym had been about to give vanished completely in the face of that stare.

“I’m just glad you’re all right,” Will whispered, and then he had crossed the scant distance between them and wrapped her in such a gentle hug that it stole Kym’s breath along with her words.

“Thank you for not dying,” Will laughed into her ear. “Hermann would have killed me if you’d gotten murdered on my watch.” Kym fell against him, her forehead against his shoulder as she shook with smothered laughter.

“How touching,” she said.

“What can I say? I was worried about my partner.” Will was actually smiling down at her, and Kym wondered (not for the first time) if she was still unconscious- she couldn’t remember Will ever smiling this much. She wondered if the near-death experience was messing with both of their heads.

“Alright, enough of this warm fuzziness,” she said, pushing gently on his chest. “I have started on coffee, and you’re going to leave me to get my uniform on and go get some. Then we can stop by your house and get you looking a little less…” at a loss, she waved her arms at the whole of him, disheveled and decidedly not workplace appropriate. “Hermann might not murder you, but he’d never let you forget it if you showed up at the precinct looking this rumpled.”

“I’m hurt, Sergeant,” Will said, retreating through the door with one more grin.

Definitely the post-shootout adrenaline talking, Kym decided.

And yet- the half smile didn’t slip from her face as she got dressed, nor when she emerged to join Will in getting coffee. The memory of his smile, his admission of worry for her, his arms around her- all of those condensed to feel something like sunshine behind her ribcage. A new feeling, but not altogether unpleasant, she supposed.

_I did get shot last night,_ she reminded herself.

_But overall- not a bad day so far. And it’s only eight o’clock in the morning._

**Author's Note:**

> *slides this into the tag, moments before collapse*
> 
> This was far harder to write than I anticipated. I rewrote that ending exchange so many times, Though I still feel somewhat like it fell apart a bit. But I digress.
> 
> Kym being startled by Will displaying emotions Other Than Frustration continues to be a weakness of mine, apparently.
> 
> Kudos and comments are day brighteners, as always! <3


End file.
